The first end-to-end 5G standalone (SA) network has come to New Zealand. To lay the groundwork for the roll out of 5G SA at scale in the future, telco Spark New Zealand created and ran two proof-of-concepts with Mavenir (5G SA cloud-native core), AWS (mobile edge computing and 5G cloud), Nokia (cell site infrastructure), and OPPO (5G devices).
“The solutions offered by AWS and Mavenir provide an opportunity to test and learn by leveraging cloud-native solutions and edge compute services optimized for 5G,” said Josh Bahlman, Spark NZ’s Tribe Lead for Telco Cloud. “Testing the technology in this way allows us to identify the optimal combination of vendors and solutions to deliver the benefits we want to achieve.”
A standalone 5G network enables low-latency access to edge compute solutions, allowing customers to deploy solutions that can push compute capacity from the core network right to the customer’s work site, factory, or workplace.
To test these benefits, Spark NZ deployed a Mavenir 5G SA cloud-native core solution on AWS Snowball Edge, which provides edge computing and data transfer services. This allowed Spark NZ to create a portable edge solution to process and store data close to where it was generated. A tool test resulted in real-time video analytics, with latency reduced by 70 percent to single-digit milliseconds.
Spark NZ then deployed the Mavenir 5G SA cloud-native core on AWS Outposts, a fully managed solution delivering AWS infrastructure and services to virtually any on-premise or edge location. Testing a wireless broadband service on this proof of concept showed faster download speeds and reduced latency.
“These proof-of-concepts create a line-of-sight for us to deliver the enhanced benefits of standalone 5G such as instant video streaming, cloud hosted gaming and the reaction times required for driverless vehicles,” Bahlman said. “The 5G SA network opens the door on capacity and low latency to help accelerate IoT trends, such as connected cars, smart cities and IoT in the home and office.”
Spark NZ has further proof-of-concepts underway as it works to bring relevant use cases specific to New Zealand’s local requirements.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
Reader Interactions